1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to outdoor cooking apparatuses, and more particularly, to charcoal igniters used to preheat charcoal for use in a charcoal-burning grill.
2. Background of the Related Art
A barbecue grill is an apparatus for cooking food by applying heat directly from below the food. A cooking grid supports the food over a fuel source used to generate heat for grilling. The cooking grid has openings to pass hot air and smoke upwardly through the cooking grid to the food being grilled, and to allow fat, oil, and other materials generated while grilling to fall below the cooking grid. Two prevalent categories of grills are gas-fueled and charcoal-burning grills. Charcoal is often preferred as the fuel source, primarily because charcoal provides uniform, high cooking temperatures and the smoke from burning charcoals can impart a desirable flavoring to the food being grilled.
One of the challenges associated with charcoal grilling is safely and effectively igniting the charcoal. Charcoal is often ignited directly within the grill. However, a separate device referred to as a charcoal igniter may be used to ignite the charcoal before delivering the ignited charcoal to the grill. A quantity of charcoal to be ignited, typically in a briquette or natural-lump form, is placed in the igniter. Kindling, such as newspaper, may be used in lieu of lighter fluid as a fuel source for igniting the charcoal. The ignited charcoal may then be delivered from the charcoal igniter to the grill. An example of an existing charcoal igniter is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,913,013 to Mize.